By Bronte Gossling and Damien Woolnough
Fashion’s elite are mourning Croatian-Australian model Lucy Markovic, who has died aged 27 following a years-long battle with a serious brain condition.
Markovic died overnight after undergoing multiple surgeries to treat brain arteriovenous malformation (AVM), a condition in which tangled abnormal blood vessels can lead to bleeding and damage tissue in the brain.
Australian model Lucy Markovic, pictured here in Tuscany in July 2024, has died aged 27.
“She was at peace. Me, her mother and my mother were present with her … May Lucy rest in peace,” Markovic’s partner Caro, who had been keeping her fans up to date on her progress, wrote on Markovic’s Instagram story early Friday morning.
After confirming her death, Elite Model Management NYC paid tribute to her in a statement, calling her a “bright shining light” with an “incredible dry sense of humour”.
“Her smile and laughter could light up a room, and draw you closer to her,” the statement said.
“She loved to dance, she really shined.
“Modelling was one of Lucy’s dreams, and we are deeply honoured to have been part of that journey with her ... She brought elegance, strength, and beauty to her work. But more than that, she brought herself – her warmth, her laughter, her light.
“To her family and friends, please know that you are in our prayers and in our hearts. We mourn with you, and we celebrate the incredible person Lucy was. We will never forget her.”
Leading stylist and editor of the highly influential Side Note magazine Karla Clarke worked with Markovic during the COVID lockdowns and remarked on her commitment to her craft.
Markovic, pictured here walking for Giorgio Armani in Paris Fashion Week in June 2024, was 16 when she came second on Australia’s Next Top Model in 2015.Credit: Marc Piasecki
“There’s only a handful of girls in this market that have an identifiable drive,” Clarke said. “She always had that, combined with a softness and sweetness. She was polite and respectful. Those two things enabled her to evolve and grow as a professional.
“We are all so proud of people who advance abroad and she accomplished that.”
Following her debut on Australia’s Next Top Model in 2015, Markovic modelled for some of the world’s most powerful fashion houses, including Versace from 2022.
“I am so sorry to hear the news about Lucy Markovic, rest in peace, beautiful girl,” Italian fashion designer Donatella Versace wrote on her Instagram story about Markovic, who had modelled for Versace last year.
Model Cheyenne Tozzi was then-16-year-old Markovic’s mentor on the ninth season of Australia’s Next Top Model in 2015. Markovic was the runner-up in the finale, hosted by former Miss Universe Jennifer Hawkins, but Tozzi could see the teenager’s potential for international success.
“We stayed in touch and whenever I saw her in a magazine or on a billboard I was so proud,” Tozzi recalled. “She absolutely nailed it.
“It was a pleasure to watch this smiley, beautiful young girl evolve on the show. We were always laughing because I was constantly telling her to ‘unsmile’ herself so that she could succeed,” Tozzi said. “Hats off to her because she did it. She is and always will be a true beauty.”
Markovic had forged a successful modelling career abroad following her success on the homegrown reality series, and is understood to have returned to Australia for treatment earlier this year.
On March 6, Markovic wrote her final social media post to her 93,700 Instagram followers, confirming she would be undergoing surgery on April 2 for the AVM in the back of her brain “that is the size of a golf ball”.
“Excited, thankful, scared, supported, hopeful,” she wrote at the time, four years after she was first diagnosed with the condition. “Full flood of emotions in this time. Life’s a journey and I’m ready for the next chapter.”
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